Manually operated field line insulator



Dec. 24, 1957 ,H. L. BOERLIN MANUALLY OPERATED FIELD LINE INSULATOR|ll|||ll| l I I l I I I I l l l l II N E nh M/r V mm. is M a #M FiledSept. 16, 1953 United States Patent MANUALLY OPERATED FIELD LINEINSULATOR Harold L. Boerlin, Alexandria, Va.

Application September 16, 1953, Serial N 0. 380,629

Claims. (Cl. 174-154) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States for governmental purposesWithout the payment to me or my legal successors of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to insulators constructed for rapid emplacementand removal of telegraph and telephone lines especially, although it maybe applied to use in supporting other electrical conductor lines, aswill be understood from the following disclosure.

The invention is especially important to the armed services, whereexigencies of battle conditions may require extreme haste in hanging orremoval of lines of communication.

It is therefore an important aim of the invention to present aconstruction adapted to be produced at reasonable cost which will enableinstant stringing of communication lines by simple manual operation ofan inclosing insulator.

The invention is particularly useful as a pendant cross arm bracketwhich may be mounted temporarily or permanentiy on the cross arm, andwill enable placement and securement of a conductor by a linemanstanding on the ground therebelow. Quick-mounting means for securingsuch an insulator to a cross arm are available and may be substitutedwhere found desirable as, for instance, shown at Figures 4 and 5. Othermounting expedients are found in patent to Fleener, 2,235,108, March 18,1941, and patent to Cook, 1,090,686, March 17, 1944.

A further aim of the invention is to enable the production of anextremely rugged insulator assembly liable in a minimum degree to injuryor derangement in the severe usage to which material is subjected inmilitary use and particularly in battle conditions, while at the sametime attaining the object of quick wire suspension and manual fasteningand release.

Objects, advantages and features of invention in addition to thoseindicated above reside in the construction, arrangement and combinationof parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will beindicated or understood by or from the accompanying description anddrawings, wherein Fig. l is an elevation of one embodiment of theinvention substantially twice the actual size required for a conductorof substantial size, although the proportions of the device may begreater or less, according to the requirements of the service and thenature of the line to be supported;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the blank for the shank and strap ofthe invention as viewed from the left of Fig. l, substantial parts ofthe device being broken away to reduce the length of the illustration;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the appliance unmounted, as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modified hanger device attachable to a crossarm without use of any tool, or possibly the use of a hammer, initiallypositioned on the cross arm for movement to secured position;

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Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the hanger in final position on thecross arm.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, there is illustrated aportion of a wooden cross arm 10, of conventional construction uponwhich my insulator is suspended. The insulator is a bracket devicecomprising a hanger body 11 formed from stock circular round steel rod,although other materials may be used as found preferable. The upper partof the body consists of a shank having a threaded extremity which isinserted through a cross arm, a washer 12 being held against the lowerside of the cross arm by struck lugs 13 formed on the side of the shank,and the shank is secured by means of a conventional nut and washer onthe extremity of the shank at 14 engaged against the upper side of thecross arm.

The lower part of the shank is rolled on one side to form anintermediate rigid shank or main bracket arm portion 16, rectangular incross section, one broad side being aligned with one side of the uppershank as in Fig. l, and the lower end of the body is further rolled toform a thinner broad strap portion 17 which is bent upward and formed toa substantially U shape or hook-like form, open upwardly beside theshank 15 and with its bight 18 located near the termination of the rigidintermediate portion 16. The outer end portion of this strapconstituting a movable bracket arm 19 corresponding to the bill of ahookis extended a suitable distance upwardly for manipulation to pressit inwardly close to the shank, and the extreme distal portion is formedwith a series of closely spaced transverse press-outs 20 forming ribssubstantially sawtoothed in shape, with sloping parts to the upper side,as shown in Fig. 1. The parts 16, 18 and 19 may be termed a yoke, sincethey function to yoke an insulator and conductor supported in thedevice. The extremity of the strap extends upwardly to a height closelyadjacent to the termination of the circular upper part 15 of the shank.

A latch and operating means 21 is provided for compressing the arm orbill part 19 and securing it in linelocking position. It comprisesprincipally a hand-operated lever 22 pivoted on the shank and having abail link 23 pivoted thereon at the side of the shank opposite the arm19 and extending toward and past the shank to the opposite side of thedevice so as to embrace the arm 19 at times or to swing clear thereof.The lever 22 as shown is adapted to be formed of sheet metal bent into aU-shape in cross section, with parallel semi-circular cheeks 24 extendedbeside the hanger and pivoted to the upper part of the intermediateshank 16 by means of a pin 25 extended through the shank on its majortransverse axis. The cheeks are extended downwardly and reduced inextent so as to form a tapered operating arm 26 of lever 22, which islocking position extends to near the lower end of the intermediate shankportion 16 and is turned outwardly and formed with a rolled end 27constituting a finger piece by which the initial movement of the leverfrom locking position may be effected. It will be noted that in thelocking position of the lever as shown in Fig. 1, the extremity of thelever 22 is the lowermost part of the device and projects at 27 belowthe bight 18 so as to be easily struck and operated by the end of a pikeswept beneath the device by a lineman on the ground. The bail 23 extendsfrom an intermediate tooth 20 to its connection with the lever on a linewhich is below the pivot pin 25that is, beyond dead center relation ofthe bail and pin 25 so that the tendency of the arm 19 to springoutwardly in opposition to confinement by the bail, will hold the lever22 in locked position so that it cannot be too easily released.

This dead center locking function may be accomplished by othermechanical forms, and for that reason the parts as, 23, and 19 togethermay be termed a toggle device.

The cheeks 24 are so extended from the direction of the arm 26 that theyfunction with the arm as the short arm of a bell crank lever, the bailbeing pivoted at the heel of the lever and the lever fulcrumed at theend of the short arm. This short arm is of such length that when thelever 22 is swung to its uppermost position as dotted at a, in Fig. l,the pivot of the bail on the lever is located beside the upper shank 15,and the bail is easily movable beyond the extremity of the arm 11% ofthe insulator yoke to either engage the latter or release it. With thelever in the last named released position, the bail may be presseddownwardly so as to slide over and against the teeth to a position suchas shown at a or lower, at the right hand side of Fig. 1. Then the lever22 may be pressed downwardly to locking position as shown in full linesin Fig. 1, thereby drawing the arm 19 inwardly toward the shank towire-locking position shown in full lines and swinging the bail linkbeyond dead center relation between the lever 22 and arm 5.9 so that theparts are retained in locking position.

The cheek 24, at one side or at each side, is extended upwardly andformed with a curved corrugated edge portion 28, engaged frictionallyagainst the side of the bail, so that when the bail is swung upwardly asat b in Fig. 1, it will be retained in such raised position by pressureof its arm or arms into the corrugations. Thereafter, upon downwardmovement of the lever 22 the bail will be raised by the corrugations andcaused to swing upwardly until it rests against the upper shank as at cin Fig. l, the weight of the lever then retaining the bail in raisedposition so that it will not interfere with emplacement of a conductorin the insulator, or its removal.

it may be noted that in releasing movement of the lever 22 from theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 1, a portion of the corrugations 28will pass wipingly within the bail, while the latter is positioned as ata in Fig. l, and thereafter lowering of the lever will raise the bailnearly to the position shown at c, so that release of the arm 19 may beeffected by a single operation, consisting in the swinging of the lever22 to its raised position, and lowering it substantially to the dottedposition shown at c in Fig. 1.

At the outer end of the series of corrugations 23, a stop lug 29 isformed on the edge of the cheek 24, so that when the bail 23 is raisedto its full useful limit, it is stopped by the lug 29. The bail is thusretained always within a limited range of movement convenient forlowering to engagement with the strap arm 19 of the yoke when required,and preventing movement of the lever 22 excessively beyond releasingposition.

Snugly fitted in the bight T8 of the bracket or yoke there is a split orchannelled sleeve member Fall of elastic deformable rubber-likeinsulating material, this sleeve being substantially circular in crosssection, except at a slot or channel 31, extending through its lengthand having a bottom part located centrally in the sleeve 39 andsubstantially concentric with the sleeve. It should be noted that theslot 31 is shaped and formed its entrance through the periphery of thesleeve with a width which is just sufficient to admit the conductor 32,when the strap arm 19 is free from the bail 23, at which time the slot31 is presented toward the open space be tween the arm 19 and the bodyof the shank thereadjacent. When the arm 19 drawn in by the bail, thepressure on opposite sides of the sleeve 30 causes the material at thesides of the slot 31 to move inwardly over the conductor laid thereinand confine the latter at the lower part of the slot, substantiallyconcentric with the sleeve Pitt, preventing loose movement of theconductor in the insulator and obviating liability of the conductorbecoming casually displaced from the insulation into contact with theshank 16 or arm 19.

The insulator sleeve may be formed of a single body of suitable elasticquality, but preferably it includes a harder outer layer 33 which willtend to confine the inner softer portion. The inner part has been madeof sponge rubber, and the outer part of polyethylene. However, the innerpart may be of a quality similar to automobile tire tube or treadrubber, and the outer part 33 may be of a shell-like quality so that itsextremities adjacent the slot 31 will press the softer material inwardwhen the yoke is closed, so that retention of the conductor 32 will bemore secure.

In Figures 4 and 5, the upper end of the shank has been adapted forhook-on engagement with a cross arm, the blank being lengthened andformed as a hook 35, with a right angle bight 36 and a bill arm 37nearly or quite parallel to the upper shank part ll-a. The extremity ofthe bill arm is formed with a slightly outturned part 38, and a returneddiagonal spur 39 on the inner side of the arm. projecting toward theshank. The side of this returned part and spur toward the shank presentsan inclined edge 40, one end of which is at the extremity of theoutturned part 38. The latter end of the edge 4'?) is spaced from theshank 15-a slightly more than the horizontal transverse dimension of thecross arm. A number of upwardly directed spurs 41 may be formed on theinner side of the shank opposite the arm 37. The lower part of theshank, and the strap portion, are shaped as first described, and thebail and locking lever assembled thereon also constructed as in thefirst instance.

in the use of this form of the shank, the opening of the hook 355 ispresented downwardly over the cross arm with the sloping edge 40 restingagainst the junction of the top and side of the cross arm and the shankll-a resting against the opposite side of the cross arm. A strongdownward pull is then applied to the shank manually if accessible, topull the hook down to slide the spur 39 downward beside the cross arm(the inclined face 40 sliding against the side of the cross arm andpressing the bill arm outwardly to permit this movement), and the shankll-a pulled or pressed into vertical position against the side of thecross arm opposite the bill of the hook.

Or, after initial positioning of the hook over the arm, a hammer 34 maybe used to drive the hook downward into proper engagement and fit on thecross arm, by blows delivered on the upper side of the bight and shankof the hanger. One or more final blows may be delivered against theouter side of the part to drive the spur 39 into the cross arm. Thespurs ll will prevent rising of the hanger on the cross arm, and thespur 39 will effect permanent fastening to the cross arm. Removal may beeffected by pressing the bill arm 37 outward to disengage the spur 39.

After emplacement of my insulator by any form of cross arm attachment,the locking device may be operated from the ground by means of a handpole, or preferably a device like a firemans pike, and after movement ofthe lever 22 from locking position to position 0, the wire conductor32previously laid along the ground beside the line of poles-may belifted by the pole or pike and laid in the insulator sleeve 30, afterwhich the pole or pike is used to draw the bail 23 downward over thefree end 19 of the strap, and the lever 22 then pulled down to lockingposition, completing securement of the conductor. Before placing thewire in the insulators of a new line, the line should be deadended ascustomary, and then the wire lifted to place in the insulators asindicated. Before closing the insulators on the wire, the line should beproperly or approximately sagged in conformity with standard practicealthough in emergency the requirements of necessity may involvedepartures from ideal practice.

By forming the insulator 30 of suitable length, and with the slot 31properly proportioned to the size of wire, the insulator 30 will act asa vibration dampener, minimize wear and other destructive effect on theinsulator, and hold the line against slippage.

Although the invention has uitility for emergency stringing of lines,and rapidly extending military communications, it also has utility formore or less permanent installations generally .in place of upstandingpins with cap insulators, which usually require the presence of alineman on the pole to install a line on the insulators and secure it.In the form illustrated this invention obviates need for running theline over the cross arm, and when used on the lowermost cross arm of anumber, or on a pole with a single cross arm, the wire may be lifted toplace as described Without likelihood of interference with wires alreadystrung either on standard pin insulators or on under arm insulators;without requiring a lineman on the pole, and with great saving of timeover conventional practice. Replacement of wires on upper cross arms ofa number on the same pole may also be effected with as much facility aswith standard pin insulators.

In the setting up of a line with my invention, if no established line ofpoles and cross arms is in place and available, poles with cross armsbored and having my hangers set thereon, may be erected, and the wirethereafter laid along the ground and lifted and secured as beforedescribed.

It should be noted that by extending the saddle insulator 3033horizontally at each end a distance beyond the yoke as indicated in Fig.3, short-radius flexing of the conductor near the insulator, incident tosway by wind and by other forms of vibration, will be distributedlongitudinally of the conductor, so that liability of fatigue of themetal of the conductor by these causes will be greatly minimized, withlessened occurrences of failure due to such causes. Ice load in sleetstorms is prone to cause breakage near conventional insulators due tofatigue.

The invention is of great value in the establishment of new lines,especially where metal poles and cross arms are employed, contributingto the rapidity of the work and obviating need for a large part of themanual work to be performed in the field. In such case, to set up a lineof communication in virgin areas, the poles and cross arms, with bracesand with my hangers set in the same kind of holes heretofore employedfor metal insulator pins, are shipped to the right-of-way or route; andpole erection crews set up the poles by conventional procedure, theinsulator yokes being kept closed during transportation, although theymay be opened as the poles are erected, and left open, ready for thestringing of the wire. Thereafter, the procedure above described foremplacement and sagging of the line is carried out, completing theestablishment of the field line. In this way, it is never necessary formen to climb the poles when engaged in line laying or wire removal.

It is of especial advantage in the use of my invention that the leverarm 26 is operable by a push in one direction to close and lock theinsulator in engagament with a line wire, and a push in the oppositedirection to effect its release, and as this movement involves amovement between two positions at limits which must be at opposite sidesof the dead center referred to above, the lever and linkage may betermed a full-stroke device. Both move ments of the lever may be readilyaccomplished by a push or pressure of the end of a pole in respectivedirections against the lever at 27.

While the invention has been presented as a suspension insulator, it maybe otherwise mounted when found desirable, and the shank suitablyshaped, or other mounting provided by which the conductor may besupported above or beside a cross arm or other carrying body.

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement of elements inthe device will be permissible without departing from the spirit of theinvention as hereinafter claimed, and many such modifications willsuggest themselves to those versed in the art to adapt the device tospecial situations.

I claim:

1. An electric line wire support for mounting on a cross arm, andcontructed with a pendant line securing part arranged so as to hangbelow an engaged cross arm,

said pendant part consisting of a substantially U-shaped resilientbracket body having relatively movable extremities initially spacedapart from a perpendicular line therebetween so as to form a clearopening from within the bracket at its upper part, whereby a horizontalwire may be moved thereinto by translation substantially vertically, anelastic, horizontally elongated deformable rubber-like insulator fittedto the bight of the bracket and having an opening longitudinally thereofon the upper side of the insulator in the direction of the opening insaid bracket said opening in the insulator being of a size to receivesnugly a line wire to be supported, and holding means on the bracketmovable to compress the sides thereof toward each other a distance,including toggle means to secure said holding means releasably inbracket-compressing position and including a full stroke operatingmember, having a horizontally movable extremity projecting below allother parts of the device for press operation by a pole-like tool whenswung horizontally beneath the U-shaped bracket.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which one arm of said bracket is a rigidshank and the other relatively movable, a line locking and release armlever pivoted on said shank a distance from the bight of the U-shapedpart, a bail pivoted on the lever having a transverse part to embracethe said movable arm of the bracket, said bail being inwardly of thepivot of the lever toward said bight when the lever is in line-lockingposition, and said bail being of a length to hold the outer end of saidrelatively movable arm of the bracket compressed to a minimum spacedrelation to the shank in line-locking position of the lever.

3. A wire-clamping insulator device comprising a body membersubstantially U-shaped, a resilient deformable rubber-like elongatedmember set transversely in the bight of the U-shaped member and having alongitudinal channel therein open toward the open part of the U-shapedmember, a conductor-securing bell crank lever fulcrumpivoted on a mainarm of the bracket, the lever having an operating arm arranged to liebeside the said main arm when in conductor-securing position, a bailpivoted on the lever eccentrically of the fulcrum pivot of the latterand having a bight arranged to embrace and draw the free end of theU-shaped clamping member toward clamping position when said operatingarm is moved toward said main arm, at least one cheek member on thelever extended beside the bail and having tooth-like members thereon toengage successively and wipingly against the bail as the lever and bailare moved relatively in their pivotal relation, whereby the bail will beheld yieldingly in alternative inoperative positions when free of theopposed arm of the bracket.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein the lever is a bell crank and hasone arm pivoted at its extremity on the bracket, and a heel portionpivoted to the bail, and having at least one cheek portion extended fromsaid one arm within the bail, said cheek having an outer curved portioncorrugated to wipingly engage against the side of the bail to hold thelatter and the lever yieldingly at various positions in their relativepivotal movement.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which a stop lug is formed on said cheekat one predetermined limit of relative movement of the lever and bail,to stop relative movement of the bail in that direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 92,299Fry July 6, 1869 915,406 Bartley Mar. 16, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS 116,748Great Britain June 17, 1918 262,481 Italy Jan. 31, 1922

